COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN

(seminar paper)

Introduction

"You can't not communicate. Everything you say or do or don't say and don't do sends a message to others." John Woods All of us have surely found ourselves in some sort of communication that simply fell through. We are not sure what the other person said, or what is it that (s)he meant, or we just cant seem to find a common language. Misunderstandings in communication happen to us all the time and we often come to the point when we ask ourselves: why is it that we fail to understand each other? In order to answer this question it is important firstly to enter into the spirit of the very process of communication. Communication process is defined as an interaction which implicitly includes transferring information from one entity to another. It begins with a sender who encodes a message and transmits it through a medium to the receiver who then decodes that same message. However, not a little of practices indicate numerous exceptions from the stated theory. If the intended message fails to reach its aim (i.e. receiver), or if it does accomplish the set path but considerably modified in structure (thereby in meaning), the communication cannot be looked upon as effective. It means that the communication breakdown took place. Quoting John Woodss words as introductory lines of this seminar paper, we had an intention of exhibiting the weight of communication. Focusing specifically on human modes of communication, there is no denying in that people communicate from the day they are born (crying baby is sending a message it is, for example, hungry). After they learn how to use it, language becomes a powerful instrument in (exclusively human mode of) communication. People avail themselves of its forms constantly, sometimes without even being aware of it. Stating that we function through communication is therefore altogether eligible. Contemplating about this ubiquitous process, we were intrigued by the aforesaid exceptionfromtheory situations. Wanting to deal with these extraordinary, but then again so common, communication anomalies, we examined factors that affect (and break) this natural process. What are the reasons that cause a communication breakdown? How does it manifest? And what are its consequences? These were some of the questions that we used as the lines of our seminar direction.

In the introduction, we have established a fact that it is not always the case that communication serves its purpose. If the process of transferring the message gets, at any step of its course, interrupted by some type of barrier, the original information is lost. Due to partial or complete modification of the message caused by any disturbance, the receiver is not able to decode the exact meaning that the sender encoded. Such communication is thus regarded as ineffective. Depending on the level on which the communication occurs, the consequences of its failure will be of more or less significance for the active participants. A clear example of breakdown can be best perceived at the level of (more or less ordinary) communication between two actors (or small group), that is on an example of a specific conversation between people. While conversing, we could encounter various communication errors which occur on the account of numerous causes. These causes can be related with any of the three elements included in communication source (sender), transmission channel (air) and destination (receiver). Since the sender and the receiver represent the essential links of every communication chain, their unique personal attributes undoubtedly make a contribution in defining the level of quality of communication. Sender is, being the first person to speak in a verbal process, supposed to initiate interaction as properly as possible. If he wants to carry out an appropriate conversation, a message he sends should be systematically composed of carefully chosen words. The receiver is more likely to understand (and accept) a logic (i.e. grammatically correct) message, uttered clearly and directly, in line with the context. Certain departures from this ideal will sure enough be understood, thanks to our knowledge and sense, as well as on the basis of some extralinguistic context. However, we wanted to tackle with situations when the original meaning gets stuck on its intended way, therefore, lets take a look at the following example: If we say an imperative sentence Put the book on the desk by the window in the kitchen and we utter it without pauses and/or specific emphasis, it is an ambiguous sentence. The person we are addressing might not be sure what to do. The sentence could have one of the three following meanings:

Put the book onto the desk that is by the window in the kitchen. Take the book that is on the desk and put it by the window in the kitchen. Take the book off the desk that is by the window and put it in the kitchen.

Psychological states, character traits, educational background of communicators also belong to a set of features that will play a notable role in sending/receiving a message. If a person is stressed or tired it is more likely that he/or she will be inattentive in listening and in that way possibly misinterpret the message. We are familiar with the human common tendency to perceive information selectively, i.e. people simply hear what they want to hear. With subconscious picking out particularities that support familiar or already affirmed beliefs, values or personal decisions, communication effectiveness gets disarranged. A wish to maintain an expected view of reality leads to neglecting the objective truth and, consequently, ineffective communication. We should also point out the importance which rests on the way we pronounce a word, i.e. on its stressing. The meaning of the sentence Im not mad at you has various interpretations based on what word we emphasize when uttering the sentence. you) Im not mad at you (meaning: Im just disappointed) Im not mad at you (meaning: Im mad at your sister) Im not mad at you (meaning: somebody else is) Im not mad at you (meaning: Im actually very happy to see

If the meaning is not clearly specified by the required emphasis, the communication may encounter certain problems. Linguistic differences based on language, dialect, jargon or cultural interferences may also lead to communication breakdown. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, among the five hundred words that are most commonly used in English language, each has 23 different meanings on the average. Lets, for instance, consider the word value in the following sentences: What is the value of this necklace? I value a relationship I have with my best friend. What is the value of learning how to cook?

The word has a different meaning in each sentence. If a receiver has imagined a meaning that does not correspond to the one of the sender, a communication breakdown occurs.

In addition to linguistic barriers, here is an example of how a specific jargon can be a significant barrier to understanding. DOCTOR: Youve suffered a contusion to the soft tissue below the fourth thoracic vertebra exacerbating the proximal sternum. PATIENT: ??? In order to avoid communication errors and make the understanding of the message, first of all, accessible, the doctor could have said You have a bruised rib, which is the simpler (lay, but understandable) way of putting it. Using complex terms unknown to the person we are talking to, causes communication breakdown. Furthermore, misunderstandings can lie at the root of the quantity of the given information: neither lack of information, or, on the other hand, information overload, produce a positive effect in communicating. Leaving the initial and the final element aside and turning now to problems happening in a medium that is in between the two (in communication channel), we realize there is a number of disturbances that may interfere with communication, blocking its further way. We could mention any environmental inconvenience, such as poor lightning, uncomfortable sitting, unhygienic room, unfavourable temperature, etc. and conclude that these are not accommodating terms for a normal conversation. Hence, a communication breakdown is likely to occur in such conditions. Communication could also be affected by surrounding noises (for example, the sound of a truck passing by, loud neighboring voices). Besides conversational aspect, when talking about communication breakdown it is indispensable to examine its efficiency at the level of whole society. We are fully aware of gender differences which, based on a distinction of biological and/or physiological characteristics of males and females, in various situations set a negative sign for male female relationship. It often results in division in opinion, lack of understanding and quarrels, all of which can be associated with some kind of communication breakdown. We find a similar situation when inspecting communication between different generations, especially between young people and their elders (so called generation gap). As compared with previous times, differences based on age increased considerably in modern area, in a high degree owing to musical tastes, fashion, culture and new technology. Conflicting opinions, tastes and views result in destroyed communication.

Along with these two terms mentioned above (gender differences and generation gap) which refer to lack of communication between particular social entities, we have to mention the saddening fact that the modern world drastically reduces communication between people in general. We are all witnesses of innovative changes and technological development that have a great impact on communicating. The latter proceeds across social networking sites to a such a large degree that it wont be incorrect to state that it nearly replaced face to face communication.

The evolution of human communication is still not precisely determined. One of the most interesting phenomena is the suggestion of some scholars who state that people were made only to speak (and communicate mostly by uttering sounds), but not necessarily to write. Therefore, human inventions such as writing, and consequently the human ability to read, are artificial and much more difficult to acquire and/or practice. Writing can be defined as a code made as a consequence to human's rapid evolution of communicating. Its primary role would be encoding oral language or utterances which carry a meaning or simply writing down words or full sentences speakers produce when uttering. Messaging technologies, along with the Internet, are nowadays highly developed devices for communication. Such communication is more than just common among teen adults and adolescents. After some time, several negative side-effects occured that consequently brought to communication breakdown between various age groups. Mentioned messaging technologies include Internet web sites that provide the so called chat rooms, instant messaging, mobile phone texting and such, whose main purpose is exchanging written information or simply providing a typed conversation with other people. Various online surveys have shown that over 70% of surfing adolescents use such type of communication rather than using telephone. Instant Messaging has soon become a necessity of modern life and it is more than obvious that communication it provides has an enormous influence on developing writing skills and consequently language. As it is mentioned above, Instant Messaging (or simply IM) communication is mostly used by teenagers and adolescents. Such young audience is not necessarily well educated and they are usually lacking spelling skills. A result of that is a development of an unique written code (language) consisting of all english words but written in a sort of a shortened way. Words are consisting of both letters and numbers which may sound similar or exactly as a certain phoneme (i.e. 2 standing for to or too and such). Through years of its active usage, this particular form of language became more a problem, rather than just a trend. Students somehow managed to loose the distinction between the formal English language and this artificial written form present in IM via the Internet. The so called Broken English (or Internet English) used in private Instant Messaging and Internet chat rooms became very popular among younger students who got so used to using such form of a language (mostly in writing), that they forgot the formal English language they were expected to use when in school. It has been noted that they started to use this violated form of written English in their final tests and exams and they often included computer

symbols such as &, @ and $ along with number symbols 2 and 4 used to shorten a ceratin phoneme or utterance. Morphemes were written not only in letters, but also in various familiar and less familiar signs and symbols, words became hardly leggible and sentences fully undecodable to readers of little I-Messaging experience and skills. Soon enough, it became more than just an irrelevant trend. Nowadays, students are unable to recognize the standard form of English language and correctly written sentences, words, phrases and such. As mentioned, they are inventing their own spelling which unrarely cannot be recognized as a word or a phrase at all. However, others of the same age group (colleagues in class, students, pen pals, etc.) are pretty much able to do so which proves the fact this form of language is fully functional among a certain group of people (mostly younger people, teenagers and adolescents). This invented language is officially called Lingo and is rapidly spreading all over the world, as mentioned, mostly among ceratin age groups. The only real problem linguists and educators see is the fact such groups of people are putting behind their standard form of English language which manifests through their inability to distinguish a malformed sentence or phrase from the one that is correct. Lingo is not precisely a language itself; it is mkore a sort of a violated form of English language that uses English grammar and words, but when writting, it shortens down previously fixed phrases and common words (BRB which stands for Be right back, the LOL which stands for Lauging out loud, etc.) Over the years, educators managed to distinguish both negative and positive side effects of Lingo and its common usage by younger audience. Negative side effects, besides the ones already mentioned , are mostly concerned with mixing the two types of English (an informal and formal one). Positive side effects actually emphasize the fact young people are actually more encouraged to write and use written form of a language which cannot be a bad thing, especially nowadays when reading and similar language practices are fully ignored and left behind. More and more educators agree that IM and Internet in general are supporting written communication which is a great way (or even a tool) for practicing language, as long as their students are fully able to switch their informal English mode off whilst in school.

To conclude, every problem may have its positive side when observed from several aspects. Communication breakdown is a product of different ways of communicating, speaking, writing, and of course understanding, is a common issue. Conflicting opinions, tastes and views result in destroyed communication. Along with the terms mentioned before (such as gender differences and generation gap) which refer to lack of communication between particular social entities, we have to mention the saddening fact that the modern world drastically reduces communication between people in general. We are all witnesses of innovative changes and technological development that have a great impact on communicating. It proceeds across social networking sites to a such a large degree that it wont be incorrect to state that it nearly replaced face to face communication. However, more and more people agree upon the fact that technology and its major changes in communication among people might not always be a bad thing. Such communication can gradually rebuild human need to interact with one another, which is, after all, the most important thing of our being and language itself.

REFERENCES

Brala - Vukanovi, M. 2008. Understanding Language. Introduction to the Linguistic Study of the English Language. Rijeka: Seuilite u Rijeci. Metcalfe, J. E. and Astle, C. 1993. Correct English. Tadworth, Surrey: Clarion. Google books: Hughes G. 2000. A History of English Words. Oxford.

<http://books.google.com/books? id=K2yZTxAVSskC&printsec=frontcover&dq=english&lr=&hl=hr&source=gbs_similarbooks_r&cad=2#v=onepage&q=&f=fals e> Accessed on March 25th

<http://www.oxfordlearning.com/letstalk/2006/oct/26/texting-vs-writing-the-problem-with-instant-messag/> Accessed on March 25th <http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/19/technology/i-think-therefore-im.html> Accessed on March 20th <http://www.coachingachievement.co.uk/overcoming_communication_barriers.htm> Accessed on March 20th <http://ohioline.osu.edu/bc-fact/0006.html> Accessed on March 20th <http://ohioline.osu.edu/bc-fact/0006.html> Accessed on March 25th